The Voices: A Thicker Than Water Part II Companion Piece
by Sara K M
Summary: Focuses on supporting characters of Thicker Than Water Part II and how they feel/think about various members of the Charming family.
1. Chapter 1

**The Voices of the Supporting Characters: **

**A Thicker Than Water Part II Companion Piece**

**Disclaimers: I don't own **_**Once Upon a Time. **_**Also this story is a spin – off to the original "Thicker Than Water" which was written by La Lisboa.**

**Author's note: Okay, these are just drabbles of some of the supporting characters in my story "Thicker Than Water Part II." They focus on how these characters think/feel about various members of the Charming family. I recommend you read the story "Thicker Than Water Part II" before reading this, or you won't have any idea who these people are and what the context is. (And as far as "Thicker Than Water Part II", I still recommend you read the original "Thicker Than Water" before reading mine. The original is, again, written by La Lisboa.)**

One: Officer Sam Collins

(Takes Place right after Emma tells him she might know someone

who can work at his brother's dairy farm)

Sam Collins still couldn't believe what his co – worker was telling him. _She knew someone who could work on Bill's dairy farm? For real?_ As he drove, trying to find a place where they could really talk, he thought about what that might mean.

All Sam had heard for the past two weeks from his brother was how much he needed to find a hired hand. The guy Bill had hired most recently spent about a week on the farm before deciding he'd had enough of cleaning up…cow waste for a lifetime (the guy actually had a much more colorful way of saying that.) The guy before that worked there for a little bit longer. About a month. But then he had found a better job. Sam had to admit, Bill had pretty poor luck with finding help that stayed. No wonder he didn't want to advertise. Still, Sam hadn't understood how Bill could find anyone without advertising _at all_. The way he was doing it now, no one even knew there was a job open on the dairy farm.

Or maybe he didn't need to advertise? Sam certainly hoped the person Officer Swan had in mind would work. Sam would love to talk to Bill about _something else_ besides finding help on the dairy farm for a change. Like baseball, for example. Before Bill's problem with his workforce, Sam and Bill were able to talk about baseball plenty of times.

At least he had been able to talk to Officer Swan about baseball for a while. Sam had been hoping she might be interested in joining their team; they could always use new players. But she hadn't seemed interested. It was no matter, though. He was still able to explain to her about the team as they worked.

Sam loved having someone to talk to during work hours this week. (Besides his once or twice a week calls from Bill about not finding anyone to work for him, that is.) It made the patrols less dull. He talked to Officer Swan about anything and everything. Baseball, of course. (Which included his team, professional baseball, and leagues he had belonged to as a boy.) He also told her about his mother, about what he did in college, and what he watched on TV (besides baseball).

Sam had actually been a little concerned that Officer Swan didn't like him. After all, she never volunteered any information about herself, what she liked to do for fun, her childhood, or anything else. But now she had told him she knew someone who might work for Bill! Maybe this was the beginning of a better working relationship? After all, if she really did know someone, she will have solved Bill and Sam's biggest problem all at once. That had to count for something, right? Sam liked to be friends with all his co – workers, and Officer Swan was no exception, even if she was a girl. Besides, if she talked to him as well from now on, it will make their job even less dull.

He finally pulled into the elementary schools' parking lot. The lot was almost empty, because school hadn't started yet. "Okay," he said to Officer Swan. "Start talking. You seriously know someone who would be interested? And would be available from sunup to sundown?" Sam couldn't keep the excitement out of his voice.

**The rest of the story picks up in the rest of chapter ten, when Emma explains about David. I will be doing several more of these "voices" as the story goes along. I have definite plans for a few characters. (One which you haven't met yet.) Some that you have met include Miss Jordan (the social worker) and possibly Red's boss. If you have any other supporting characters that you would like to see featured in this series, please let me know. **


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two:

Miss Jordan (the social worker)

**Disclaimers: I don't own **_**Once Upon a Time**_**. Also, this story is a spin – off from the original "Thicker Than Water" written by La Lisboa.**

**So I promised I'd be back with more of these "voices," so here is another one. This one is about one of the antagonists for this story. I hope this puts her in a more positive light. (I love how the show makes all of the villains human, so I want to do that for mine, too. Of course, mine is in the "real" real world, so it's easier, I think, but still.)**

**Once again, this is a companion piece for "Thicker Than Water Part II." Please read that first, or you won't know who any of these characters are. I also recommend you read the original "Thicker Than Water" before any of my sequels.**

(This takes place during the Charming family outing at the park)

Amanda Jordan didn't know what to make of the family she was watching. They were very loving, and seemed to really care about the boy she was in charge of. It was quite a change from a lot of her charge's biological families, who seemed more interested in drugs and alcohol than in their children. For that reason, Amanda was tempted to support them in the custody hearing. Her bosses liked to keep biological families together whenever possible, anyway.

At the same time, Amanda hadn't forgotten the boy's biological mother had given her baby up in a _closed adoption_. The boy had been raised by another woman. Technically, this boy's biological family _wasn't _his family. It was too bad the boy's mother didn't have any other family. She would've simply given the boy to his mother's relatives and everything would've been fine. Instead, the boy was in a foster home.

Amanda knew the foster home she'd placed Henry in was a good one. The Collards' were good foster parents and the Henry had other boys to play with there. But she knew Henry still didn't feel at home there. Most kids didn't, unfortunately. They knew the foster home wasn't' _their_ house or _their _family, no matter how welcome everyone else tried to be.

She watched as Henry as he marched off and his future biological uncle followed him. Henry was obviously angry at Amanda. She was used to the kids in her charge being angry at her. No kid liked to be taken away from their home; no matter how much safer and better it was for them. Henry was no exception, obviously. Still…most of the kids accepted her by now, even if they weren't friendly with her. Henry still didn't. She wished he would realize Amanda was trying to look out for him. Henry was certainly an unusual child. What was it that he had said to her when they first met? "We're going to fight you by your rules?" What did he mean by that? Amanda had never met a child who would say things like that before.

Would it be best for Henry to be with people who understood him? He definitely seemed more comfortable with his biological family. Amanda watched as Henry and his future biological uncle came back her way, pretending to sword fight. Besides, the family _was_ doing some of the things she had asked them to do. The biological mother, Emma Swan, had a job at the Hampden Police Department. It even came with a health insurance plan for Henry, if he was in Emma Swan's care. The others also had jobs.

Still, these people hadn't actually _raised_ Henry. Could they really understand him as much as they appeared to? Besides, Amanda was still frustrated with Miss Swan. It had been about a month and she _still hadn't_ taken care of the blood test Amanda had told her to take. Was this woman a procrastinator? Did Miss Swan like to blame others for her problems? (Amanda noticed Miss Swan always had a reason why the blood test wasn't done.) Could she really entrust a special boy like Henry to a woman who didn't understand priorities like that? How did Miss Swan expect the judge to respond when she went to court and the blood test _still _wasn't done?

Amanda had never felt more confused about a child's case before in her life.

**Does that give you a better picture of the social worker? I wanted show she really is looking out for Henry's best interest, she just doesn't know what that is. (And she's really naïve about what's going on at the Collard's. But then, so are the Charming's in some ways.)**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three: Tina

**Disclaimers: I don't own **_**Once Upon a Time**_**. Also, this is a spin – off from La Lisboa's original "Thicker Than Water."**

**Here's another "Voice." This time we'll here from Tina, the teenager with a crush on David. Instead of taking place during the scene in chapter twelve, like these drabbles usually are, I'm setting this one on the day Tina meets David. Sorry if that's a little confusing, but I didn't want to get in Tina's head until **_**after**_** chapter twelve. Just in case some of you didn't realize Tina had a crush on David in chapter eleven. **

Tina was all ready to return to her Mom's on Monday morning. She loved her Dad, she really did, but she preferred not to stay too long at the dairy farm. It stank! Tina couldn't wait to go back to her mom's potpourri – smelling apartment in Bangor. "Well, Dad I'm leaving," she called as she came down the front steps. Her stepmother would be out in a moment, Tina knew. The woman had agreed to drive Tina back to her mom's.

"Okay, Tina," replied her dad as he looked up from packaging the milk they'd already collected. Before Tina could get into her stepmom's car, her dad called back to her, though. "Wait. Why don't you meet our new hired hand? David! Come over here." Tina shrugged and walked over. Then her eyes set on an incredibly handsome stranger. He was tall, with light brown hair that turned blond in just the right light. He had the most incredible clear blue eyes. The muscles rippled in his arms. "David, this is my daughter, Tina. She lives with her mother during the week and visits me on the weekends. I just thought you two should be acquainted."

David shrugged his shoulders. As he did so the muscles in his arms moved even more. Yum. "It's a pleasure to meet you, David. I hope you're going to be a big help to my father," she said as her smile grew. She really hoped this guy would stick around. Tina knew her dad had trouble in the past keeping hired hands. Not that Tina could blame them, usually. Who wanted to be around that awful smell all day? But this guy…she'd really like to see more of him.

"Of course," David replied. "I love this job. Working outdoors, with the animals,…this is exactly where I want to be." Wow. This guy was even better – looking when he smiled. And his voice! It was perfect. Tina would love to spend more time with David, even if she had to endure the smell of the cows. But her stepmother was waiting for her in the car.

OOOOOOOOOOO

Tina had spent the rest of Monday thinking about David. He had to be the most gorgeous guy she'd ever laid eyes on. She didn't care that he was at least fifteen years older than her; he was perfect. By Tuesday, she'd thought of a way to see him all the time. She could ask her father if she could help on the dairy farm for a few hours every day! Tina chuckled to herself. Wasn't it just yesterday morning that she couldn't wait to leave that place? Well, that was before her eyes saw that hunk of beef her father hired. Things had changed.

Tuesday afternoon, Tina went back to the dairy farm to talk to her dad. Unfortunately, her dad didn't seem to be cooperating. _"_Well, Dad I just though you could use a little more help for a few hours! C'mon Dad, you're always asking me to help more with the farm! And this is a great way to spend more time together!" She figured her father would be able to argue against those reasons.

But in the end, it was David that helped Tina with her request. David claimed that he thought it was great Tina wanted to spend time with her father. But Tina thought maybe he actually wanted to get to know her better. After all, it was David and Tina that would be working together, mostly, right? The more Tina got to know David, the more she understood he wasn't just gorgeous, he was incredibly nice to her father and to her. Was that because David liked Tina, too? Tina hoped so.

There was one thing Tina did know, and that was that was that she was in love with David. She was determined to win his heart.

**Well, what did you think of that? I couldn't wait to write this chapter; I think it's so funny. Actually, getting to Tina's head was what gave me the idea for this series in the first place. But I had to wait until chapter twelve to write it, like I explained above.**

**I'd like to thank Wilhelm Wigworthy for the review of the first chapter, by the way. I'm glad you liked the pacing.**

**I would love to have more reviews of this series. I know it's not as popular as "Thicker Than Water Part II" because it doesn't really focus on the Charming's, exactly. But I know the series _does_ get some traffic, so I'd love some reviews from my readers on this. What did you like? What did you not like?**

**Thanks.**


	4. Chapter 4: Wendy

Chapter Four: Wendy

**Disclaimers: I don't own **_**Once Upon a Time**_**. Also, this is a spin – off from La Lisboa's original "Thicker than Water."**

**I'd like to say "Happy Mother's Day" to all the mother's out there that are reading this. (Or even if you've ever acted like a mother to someone.)**

**This is another "voice." This time, we'll here from Wendy, the college student who works at the hospital with Snow. This story takes place in several different chapters, ending in chapter thirteen.**

The first scene takes place a few days after Snow's

conversation with Cindy and Wendy about marrying David in chapter nine

Mary Margaret had already left for the bus stop, and Wendy was continuing to the parking lot with Cindy. "So, I was thinking, maybe we'd get a wedding present for Mary Margaret," Wendy commented, looking at her friend to see what she thought.

Cindy shrugged. "Maybe. It would be fun to give her a gift. But didn't she say it wouldn't be a big wedding? What if she doesn't want anything?"

Wendy nodded. She'd thought of that. "Yeah, but I think we should still get her something, anyway. A wedding should be celebrated! I know she's not having a big wedding, but that doesn't mean we can't get her a little something to show how happy we are for her. She's our friend, right?"

Cindy nodded.

"So you give presents to friends on special occasions! I mean, like you did for my birthday last month."

Cindy nodded. "Yeah, okay. We can pick something out next week."

The second scene takes place during the week of

"chapter eleven" although Wendy and Cindy were not in that chapter.

Cindy and Wendy arrived about fifteen minutes earlier than Mary Margaret would so they could discuss their options for presents in the break room. "I was thinking about a paperweight," Cindy commented. "That would be something nice, but it wouldn't be too expensive."

Wendy nodded. "That's a possibility. Although, I was thinking about something a little more…useful. Like maybe a crock – pot?"

"Does Mary Margaret cook, though? How do you know she'd use it?" Cindy asked.

"Good point. Maybe we should get her something she could use with her new husband…Like a bed for example?" Wendy commented, her eyes lighting up. Now _that _was a wedding present.

Cindy nodded excitedly as well. "Great idea. A bit expensive though, isn't it?"

Wendy shrugged. "We can look for used beds in good condition. They still have a buy – swap and – sell for this area. And sometimes people sell things like that at the university. I'll look when I'm there tonight."

Cindy nodded.

Then they heard footsteps in the background. Was it Mary Margaret? Just to be on the safe side, Wendy switched the topic. "So I heard Timmy made a new friend in kindergarten?" she asked Cindy, loudly.

"Oh, yes" Cindy replied as Mary Margaret opened the door and smiled at them. "His name is Harry."

Takes place in chapter thirteen, on Monday of that week

Wendy had looked all week for a bed for sale at the university for Mary Margaret. So far, they hadn't come up with anything. But she and Cindy were determined to get her a bed as a wedding present. Especially after they'd seen what Mary Margaret and…what was his name? David were using as a bed right now. An air mattress! Seriously, the woman needed a nice big bed with plenty of springs. Especially with a man like David.

Wendy came to the employee room ten minutes early again. "So do you have the buy – swap – sell book?"

Cindy was already sitting down with the book opened up. "Of course. Let's take a look," she replied.

Unfortunately, there were no beds for sale there, either.

Wendy sighed. "What do we do?" They heard footsteps. "About all the extra work their making us do with Marianne out sick!" she finished, changing the subject again, as Wendy was pretty sure the footsteps was Mary Margaret.

Takes place Tuesday night

Wendy looked at the ads at the university again. There _had _to be a way they could get Mary Margaret a bed for her wedding. She was almost tempted to try the mall, but she knew they'd be far too expensive for two women who worked part – time, one raising a son and the other attending school. Even Wal – Mart would be too much. Still…

Then she noticed an ad for a couch. It was only $50. That was within the price range that she and Cindy had decided on. It was a small couch, according to the ad, so Mary Margaret and her new husband wouldn't be able to _stretch out on it_, so to speak. But it would be pretty nice for cuddling, Wendy supposed. And Wendy remembered when they helped Mary Margaret move last weekend. She didn't have a couch. Maybe this could be their gift. It was certainly better than their other options.

Wendy pulled out her cell – phone to call Cindy if she would agree. If she did, Cindy could give her the money in the next two days, and they could deliver it to Mary Margaret's with her father's truck


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five: Joan Richardson

**Disclaimers: I don't own **_**Once Upon a Time.**_** Also this is a spin – off the original "Thicker than Water" written by La Lisboa.**

**You probably thought I was finished with this series, because it's been a few weeks since I updated it. I admit, I haven't really been motivated to write this series for a little while. I couldn't think of any OC in the "Thicker than Water Part II" chapters that I wanted to write about. But now I have someone from chapter sixteen I'd really like to focus on, so…here you go!**

**This chapter is about Joan Richardson, the owner of the dog Red bumped into. It focuses on their meeting.**

Joan Richardson smiled as she walked Shaggy down the street. It was a nice day for the two of them to walk around town. Even better, they hadn't encountered any children yet. Children had a hard time understanding that Shaggy wasn't very friendly. They wanted to run over and pet him. Often they would do so before Joan could explain why it was a bad idea. Then Shaggy would growl l at them, showing his teeth and scaring the children. Fortunately, he hadn't bitten any of the children yet. But Joan figured it would only be a matter of time.

All the same, Joan loved her dog. He was her constant companion for the past three years. And Shaggy was actually really sweet with her. He just didn't trust strangers. And that lack of trust usually showed by being aggressive and sometimes violent with them.

Suddenly a tall woman with dark hair almost ran right into Shaggy. Joan could have slapped herself across the face. She had been so busy daydreaming about her dog; she had forgotten to watch for strangers! She sighed. This wasn't going to be pretty. Joan _really_ hoped Shaggy didn't bite the woman.

"I'm sorry!" the woman exclaimed. "Is your dog okay?" Joan nodded, wishing the woman would leave quickly. She knelt in front of Shaggy, and he began to growl at her. Joan watched their interaction nervously. "I'm so sorry," the woman told Shaggy again. He continued to growl. (No surprise there.)

Joan had to warn this woman about Shaggy before things got worse. "He's okay, but I wouldn't do that if I were you. He's not very friendly to strangers. He might even bite you," she told the other woman. She needed to get Shaggy away from this other woman. Quickly. "Come on, Shaggy. Let's go now," Joan told her dog firmly, tugging at his leash.

Unfortunately, the other woman didn't seem to understand the danger, as she continued to stare at Shaggy. Then she even tried to scratch Shaggy's head. Joan cringed, picturing Shaggy's teeth clamping on the woman's fingers. She and Shaggy needed to leave. Now. "Careful", Joan told the other woman. "Come on, Shaggy."

But then Joan watched as something she never believed possible occurred. Shaggy began licking the woman's hand. He seemed…happy to be interacting with this woman! "I…just…don't believe it. He's never let anyone but me get that close to him. And he's never seen you before! If you were anyone else, he would've bitten you by now, maybe even more than once. You must have a special way with animals." That had to be it. Joan had heard of some people who really had a gift for interacting with animals. Still…she never thought that gift could apply to _Shaggy_.

Joan shook her head in disbelief again. Suddenly she thought of something. How long had it been since she had visited her sister? At least three years ago, probably. Since she had gotten Shaggy. Camellia Constantly asked her when she would be able to come down. If this woman really could interact with Shaggy like this…maybe she could take care of Shaggy and Joan could finally see her sister. Of course, Joan would need to get to know the woman better…but it could work out. "Listen my name is Joan Richardson. You may think this is a little forward, but my sister has been after me to visit her for over a year now. She lives in New Hampshire, you see. I'd love to go, but I can't leave my dog. He needs to be walked, and brushed, and fed daily. I can't take him with me, because my sister doesn't like him. I can't even put Shaggy in a kennel, because like I said, he doesn't like strangers and has been known to bite them. But…you seem to get along well with Shaggy, and he _likes_ you. If I can plan a trip to see my sister next month sometime, would you take care of Shaggy?"

The woman shrugged. ""I probably could. The only thing is, I don't know if I could have a dog in my apartment."

Joan shook her head. "You'd have to stay at my apartment. I'd probably have to have you over for dinner a few times, or something, so I could get to know first. But if it works out, I'd pay you a fee we'd agree on to watch my dog for two weeks."

The woman nodded eagerly. "That sounds great. My name is Ruby Lucas, by the way. The only thing is…it might be better for me if we did lunch. I work most evenings. Here's my number," she handed Joan a piece of paper with the number to her cell phone.

Joan nodded. This was wonderful! "Lunch would be fine. Thank you. Here's my number," she added, handing Ruby a piece of paper as well. "So I'll see you soon?"

"Of course," Ruby replied smiling. She seemed so friendly. This would probably work out great. "And I'll see you soon, too," Ruby added, petting Shaggy. He licked her hand again. Joan shook head as he did so. She still couldn't believe how well Shaggy was behaving with Ruby. In fact he was acting…happy to be with her. It was beyond anything Joan could dream.


	6. Chapter 6: Teddy

Chapter Six: Teddy

**Disclaimers: I don't own **_**Once Upon a Time.**_** Also, this story is a spin – off to Lisboa's original "Thicker than Water."**

**So, I'm not doing a "Voice" for every chapter, anymore. I don't think every chapter of "Thicker than Water Part II" calls for one. But when I get inspired, I'll write one. This focuses on one of the neighborhood kids that Henry played catch with at the park. It starts out on Saturday morning, when Teddy and Eddie first decide to go to the park to play catch.**

"Hey, Mom, is it okay if I go play catch with Eddie today?" Teddy asked his mother as he looked for his baseball and glove.

His mother shrugged. "Why not? Your ball and glove are behind the coat rack again," she added.

Teddy chuckled and picked them up. "Thanks, Mom," he added sheepishly.

Teddy ran two doors down to pick up Eddie. "Do you want to play catch? It's great weather for it," he asked, indicating the bright blue sky.

Eddie shrugged. "Why not. I don't have anything else to do." He quickly picked up his glove (Eddie could always find his glove without any help). Then Eddie paused. "Isn't there a new boy riding our bus?"

Teddy nodded. "Yeah, I think I've seen him in school, too."

Eddie shrugged again. "Maybe we could ask him if he wanted to play with us."

Teddy thought about that for a second. What if the kid wasn't cool? Still, the new kid _was_ the only other boy their age. Eddie was great, but it could get boring hanging with the same boy every weekend. "Yeah," Teddy agreed. "Let's try him out. Do you have an extra glove, just in case?"

Eddie nodded and grabbed one. Then they shoved all their stuff in a duffel bag.

They quickly found the house the boy was supposed to be living in and knocked on the door. 

"Hello?" a blond woman asked a she answered the door.

"I'm Teddy, and this is Eddie. We live down the street," Teddy pointed down to the area where their houses were. We noticed there's a kid living here around our age, and we wanted to know if he would come to the park with us. We're going to play catch, you know," he explained.

The woman called for her son, whose name turned out to be Henry, and asked him if he wanted to play.

To Teddy's surprise, Henry didn't say yes right away. Teddy had figured the boy would be looking for other kids to hang out with. But instead, Henry looked uncomfortable. "I don't know much about baseball," he told his mother.

Teddy couldn't hold back his shock. The kid didn't know much about _baseball_? How was it possible to live in America for what eleven? Twelve years? And not know about baseball? He and Eddie laughed at that for a minute. Teddy was beginning to have serious doubts about this Henry kid. He didn't sound very cool at all.

But Eddie suddenly said, "It doesn't matter anyway. We're not going to play an actual game. We're just going to throw the ball back and forth. You can do that, right?" he asked Henry.

Henry nodded. Teddy thought about that. Playing catch _was_ more fun with three people than it was with just two. Maybe it didn't matter that much that Henry didn't know a lot about baseball, after all.

"I don't know," Henry replied. "I just don't know." But Henry's mother insisted that he come with them, anyway. So they all set off for the park.

By the end of the day, Teddy didn't care that Henry didn't know much about baseball and wasn't that cool. He was really fun to be around. Teddy decided he'd start looking for Henry at school, too.


	7. Ch 7 Michelle

The Voices: Michelle

**Disclaimers: I don't own **_**Once Upon a Time**_**. Also this a spin – off from La Lisboa's original "Thicker than Water."**

**I bet you thought I'd given up on this series, huh? It is true that there are less characters to focus on as we move along in this story. But there are a few left I'd like to do. **

**This is Michelle's POV of chapter 28.**

Henry was such a nice boy, and they had a lot of fun at the school dance, Michelle thought to herself. Plus, he was kind of cute, was sure that ballroom dancing lessons from his aunt and uncle would be fun as well. So she talked to her parents about it, and they (eventually) agreed that Amy could drive her to Henry's apartment that Saturday.

OOOOOOOOOOO

"Hi Michelle!" Henry greeted her as he opened the door. He was wearing the same suit he'd worn to the dance the week before, minis the suit jacket. He looked quite handsome, she admitted.

"Hi, Henry!" Michelle replied.

Henry introduced his mother and his aunt and uncle to Michelle, and she introduced Amy to them as well. Then they were ready to start. Michelle didn't grasp the waltz quickly, that was for sure. Not like Henry's mother and his uncle, who were moved around like they were born to waltz. But Henry wasn't perfect or anything, considering they _both_ kept stepping on each other's feet the whole time. Still, she liked holding Henry's hands. _And_ they were having fun, too, since she and Henry couldn't stop laughing.

The next dance didn't have fancy foot motions, so it was a little easier. But you did have to constantly change partners, so Michelle kept running into everyone for a while. Eventually, she got the hang of it. Michelle grinned, proud of herself for managing one of these dances. Of course, this dance was actually similar to the square dance they had been required to do last year in gym class last year. Maybe that was why it was easier for her, because she'd done a dance like this before?

Henry's aunt showed them some hand motions that could also be done with that dance, but Michelle couldn't coordinate them along with everything else. Still, Henry's mother couldn't seem to get the hand motions, either, complaining that her hands didn't "look graceful enough."

After they took a break for lunch, they tried something called a "pavane." It was similar to the waltz, only you made a pentagram with your feet instead of a triangle. Michelle and Henry stepped on each other's feet _all the time_ with that dance. But they were still laughing the whole time. Plus, they got to hold hands again. So over all, Michelle really enjoyed it.

When they started the last dance, however, Michelle decided she'd rather watch instead. Henry's aunt said this was the most complicated dance of all of them, after all. Besides, even though she'd enjoyed dancing with Henry, her feet were getting tired. It might be kind of fun to watch the others dance. So after assuring the others that she really _did want_ to sit out, they began.

Henry looked very cute dancing with his mother. Michelle could tell he really cared about her.

But the most fun was watching Henry's aunt and uncle dance. His aunt could make really high, beautiful leaps. And at the end, his uncle actually _lifted_ his aunt in the air over his head. It was great. In fact, it was so fun to watch, Michelle asked if they could do it over again.

OOOOOOOOOOO

Friday afternoon, after Henry's bus had already left, Carl approached Michelle. Carl was one of the stars on their school's basketball team. He was cool, he was muscular, and everyone knew it. Was he really talking to _her_? "Hey Michelle," he greeted her. "Are you doing anything this weekend?"

"No," she replied.

"Then would you like to come to my basketball game? As my guest? I'd save a seat for you in the front row."

Michelle thought about that for a minute. She wasn't really Henry's girlfriend, or anything. Still, they'd done things together recently, and he was nice, and fun. And dancing with him had felt good. Still, even though Henry _was_ kind of cute, Carl was _gorgeous_. And Michelle knew if she went to the basketball game as Carl's special guest, everyone would know it, and be jealous of her. The ballroom dancing she had done last weekend had been fun, but it wasn't anything to brag about. A picture of Henry's smiling face flashed through her mind. Then she looked at Carl's muscles again. "Okay, that sounds like fun Carl," she agreed.

Carl smiled at her. "I knew you'd agree."

**Don't forget, if any of you have an idea of someone you'd like to see featured in this series, please let me know.**

**P. S. The regular "Thicker Than Water Part II" should be up this Sunday, as usual. Just in time for the S 4 premiere.**


	8. Ch 8 Bill Collins

Bill Collins

(David's Boss)

**Disclaimers: I don't own **_**Once Upon a Time**_**. Also, this is a spin – off to La Lisboa's original "Thicker than Water."**

**Sorry. Usually I try to post these earlier on Thursdays, but I forgot I had a "voice" this week.**

**This takes place (mostly) after George appears at the dairy farm.**

Bill had never had a better farmhand than David Nolan. David cheerfully took care of everything he was supposed to do, from feeding the cows, collecting milk pails, and even cleaning up cow dung. Furthermore, he was incredibly gentle with all the cows. Bill had never seen the animals take to anyone like they took to David. He supposed it had something to do with the fact that David was raised around livestock. But it was still wonderful to see him interact so well with the animals.

David had _even _convinced Bill's daughter, Tina to work at the dairy farm after school for a few months. (Honestly, Bill thought his daughter was allergic to cow since she'd started Middle School.) It was wonderful to see Tina almost every day for a while. About two months ago, unfortunately, Tina had decided she didn't want to work here after school anymore. Bill was sad he wouldn't see her as often anymore, but he knew in his heart Tina's decision wouldn't last. But he still had David to thank for the extra time he'd had Tina this past year.

Bill was working on some paper work one afternoon while David unloaded the cow feed from the truck. He was glad he could trust David to do his job without having to constantly check up on him. And Bill was sure David was glad to spend some time outside again, especially with all the rain they'd received recently. As Bill continued, he thought he'd heard an unfamiliar voice. He shrugged his shoulders after a moment and went back to his paperwork. It was probably just his imagination. A couple of minutes later, he heard David and unfamiliar voice yelling. Okay, now there _was_ something going on. He'd best figure out what.

"Hi David," he began as he walked out onto the field near the driveway. "I heard yelling –"

Bill stopped short as he noticed a strange man trying to attack David, although he was doing a good job (much better than Bill could have done) at fighting the other man. "Who's this?" What was going on here?

"Who I am is of none of your concern," the man replied. "My business is with this man," he continued as he ran into David, knocking him down this time.

Did this man seriously think this fight wasn't Bill's business? "Well, since you're on _my_ property and attacking _my_ best farm hand, I'd say it is my business," Bill snapped back. "Now get off my property or I'll call the police." He threatened, getting his phone ready in case he had to follow through with his threat.

David got up and flipped over George. "No Bill! I'm sure I can handle him without the police." Bill admitted he seemed to be doing pretty well against this guy. Where did his farmhand, who was supposed to be raised on an Amish farm, learned to fight like _that_? Still, Bill wasn't about to leave David's well – being up to chance. The other man _had_ gotten the better at David once already. What if the man was able to do so again? Besides, he needed this man off his property, and the police was best to escort characters like this. He dialed the number for the Hampden Police Department.

**Thank you for those who are reading this series, both new and old readers. I'd really like some more reviews, please if it's not too much trouble, though. What do you like about this series? What don't you like? What do you like about an individual chapter? What don't you like about an individual chapter? Help me out, please.**


	9. Chapter 9

Justin

**Disclaimers: I don't own **_**Once Upon a Time**_**. Also this story is another spin – off to La Lisboa's original "Thicker than Water."**

**Sorry that I don't have a chapter of "Thicker than Water Part II" this week, especially considering there's no episode tonight. But here's a chapter of "The Voices" for those who are interested.**

**I don't have a "voice" for every chapter anymore, but every now and then, I think of a character who I'd like to write a POV for. Justin is going to be become a **_**major**_** character for Red, so I thought he'd be a perfect one to write about. **

**This takes place through chapters 32 and 33.**

Justin was taking Champ for a walk one day when he heard her voice. The woman he'd talked to at the park a couple of weeks ago, who liked to run with her dog. "Hello," she called loudly. "It's Ruby."

Justin _really_ hated it when people talked to him loudly. They seem to think it would be the only way he would notice them, because he couldn't see. What did this woman want? "Hello," he replied, uncertainly. "What is it?"

Ruby paused for a second and then replied, "I…was just hoping to talk to you again. I really enjoyed talking to you last time."

Well, I'm not really enjoying talking to you right now, Justin thought to himself. "I see," said out loud as he began walking away from her.

But the woman wasn't so easily discouraged, apparently as he could hear her following him. "Is there going to be a day and time you'll be at the park again?" She asked loudly again. "We could plan to meet at the same time?" Justin sighed. She was talking too loudly again. "Or do you have a problem with telling time? You know, because of your eyes."

That was _it_. He'd had it with this woman patronizing him. He paused and felt the time on his watch before he snapped, "It's now quarter after three. See, I'm fully capable of taking care of myself, no matter what others think." Then he walked away again.

But as he was leaving he heard her call out, "I'm sorry I offended you, but I'd still like to talk to you again. I'll be at the park with one of the dogs tomorrow at 3:00, if you want to come." Justin knew he wouldn't bother. This woman was just another person who thought Justin was a "special case," so he needed everything done for him. He hated people like that. Why had he told her he was blind before, anyway? He _knew _this would happen.

OOOOOOOO

The next day however, Justin began to have second thoughts about seeing Ruby again. He remembered how much fun it had been, to listen to her play with her dog. Honestly, that was why he'd talked to her in the first place before. He'd never interacted with someone so _in tune_ with their dog before, much less that she and the dog could actually run at the same speed. Was seeing Ruby with her dog again worth more patronizing treatment?

No, he decided firmly. Nothing was worth dealing with _that _again.

And yet, when it was time to take Champ out, somehow he wound up at that same park, at about 3:15. It didn't surprise him that Ruby ended up being there again. He could hear her talking to her dog, "What are you sniffing? What's under that bush?" Apparently she wasn't running with her dog today; she was playing with the dog under a bush. As he stepped closer to her scent and voice, he noticed she'd brought a different dog with her this time. She was definitely a dog person, if she had two different dogs that she brought to the park all the time and played right with them. It was really cute, actually.

Ruby finally crawled out from under the bush and noticed he was there. "Hi Justin," she told him loudly, _again_. "I wasn't sure you'd come."

Justin sighed. Here we go again, he thought to himself. "I wasn't sure if I was going to, either. And _please_ stop talking to me like that. I don't need you to talk to me so loudly just because I can't see. My hearing is fine. Better than yours, actually." Maybe if he explained that to her, she would begin to understand.

"Okay. I'll try to remember that. But seriously, I can tell I offended you the last time we talked. So why did you come, back?" Ruby sounded like she _was_ sorry for offending him and honestly curious about why he returned.

So Justin shrugged. "I remember how much I liked listening to you run with the dog last time, so I thought it would be fun again. You brought a different dog this time, but that's okay. You and the dog under the bush was pretty fun to hear, too."

He and Ruby talked for a while. He told her how he was able to use his other senses to understand what was going on. She explained that she had different dogs because she worked at a dog kennel, not because they were her own. He praised her for how good she was with the dogs.

Ruby also asked how Justin was able to tell time. So he took her hand and showed her his special watch. She seemed very interested in how he interacted with the rest of the world. When she talked to him, her voice showed she admired him, rather than that she felt sorry for him. Justin really liked that.

For all those reasons, when Ruby asked if they could meet at the park on a regular basis, he agreed, although he cautioned her to not give him anymore "special treatment."

OOOOOOOOOO

For the next couple of weeks, Justin enjoyed going to the park with Champ and seeing Ruby and whatever dog she brought with her that day. They talked, they played with their dogs, and they even had friendly competitions with them and their dogs.

One day, Ruby brought an older dog who liked being outside and watching people. But the dog didn't have enough energy to "play" the way the other dogs did. Ruby tried to pretend it didn't bother her, but Justin could tell by the tone in her voice that it really did. So he decided to let her play with Champ.

Ruby sounded excited at the idea. "Really?" she asked.

"Really," Justin replied smiling. It was nice to hear how happy she was about this idea. "I have to be careful who I let play with him. I don't want anything to happen to Champ, especially because he's a working dog. Besides, a lot of people don't understand that there are times he _can't_ play. So I just say he doesn't play at all. But Ruby, I _know_ you're really good with dogs. I trust you with him. And right now is Champ's playtime, so it's okay." It was nice to know there was someone besides himself that he could trust with Champ.

So Justin listened to Ruby and Champ playing. It really was adorable. Justin's heart began to thump loudly.

Unfortunately, the wasn't as much time to talk her when she was done playing. Not as much as he'd like, anyway. Justin suggested they meet at McDonald's this weekend, so they could talk some more. Ruby wanted to know if it was supposed to be a date or just between friends.

Justin shrugged. He didn't really care either way. He had to admit, he was starting to notice Ruby as more than a friend. He would enjoy spending time with her in a "date" setting. On the other hand, she was really fun to hang out with as a friend, too. If all she wanted was friendship with him, he'd be okay with that. "Whatever you want it to be," he told her.

Ruby looked like she couldn't decide whether she wanted it to be a date or not. He decided to give her some more time to make up her mind. "Here's my phone number. You think about it, and give me a call when you decide. If it's a date, I'll pick you up at your home. If it's just between friends, we can meet at the restaurant."

**I'd love to hear what you think of this series, if you would give me a review, please.**


	10. Chapter 10: Edddie

Eddie

**Disclaimers: I don't own "Once Upon a Time." Also this is a spin – off of the original "Thicker than Water" written by La Lisboa.**

**This takes place during chapter 34, when the boys take Henry's new sword to the park with David.**

All three of the boys eagerly headed for the park. Eddie couldn't believe Henry's uncle had made a _sword_ for him. He thought having his own baseball glove was great but a sword was even better. He did agree with Henry; it would have been better if it were a _real _sword. But the one Henry had looked like it would be fun to use, too. It was long, after all, not like one of those little plastic swords the department stores sold sometimes. It looked very realistic for a sword made of wood.

"Can we start right here?" Henry asked his uncle, standing on part of the park without the playground equipment. It was the same place that they used to play baseball.

Henry's uncle looked around for a second. "Yes, this should be fine for now. But if someone comes to use the field, we'll have to live. When you practice sword fighting, you have to make sure you don't hit anyone. Do you understand, Henry?" He sounded very serious. Honestly, Eddie thought he might be over doing it, a bit. It was a wooden sword, not a real one, after all.

But Henry nodded eagerly. "Yes, Gr – Uncle David. I understand." Henry was always doing that when he talked to his uncle, Eddie had noticed. For some reason, he always started to call him something else before he switched to "Uncle David." Eddie could never understand what Henry started to say, or why he would call his uncle anything besides, "Uncle David." But it didn't really matter, Eddie supposed.

"You also have to make sure you don't point the end at _anyone._" Henry's uncle continued. "After all you're the only one with a sword. No one here can fight back."

Henry nodded again, but finally voiced what Eddie had been wondering. "But this is just a _wooden _sword! It's not like I'm actually going to hurt anyone, Gr – Uncle David!"

Eddie nodded in agreement.

"I was wondering that, too, actually," Teddy added.

David nodded but still looked serious. "That's true, Henry. It is a _wooden _sword. So you won't be able to kill anyone with it. But it _is _still possible to hurt someone with it, if you're not careful. Feel the tip, for example."

Henry did so, and jerked back his finger in surprise.

"It's pretty sharp, isn't it?"

Henry nodded.

"So could you imagine hurting someone with the tip if you're not careful?" Henry's uncle continued.

"Yeah."

Teddy and Eddie nodded in understanding as well.

"Plus, if you hit someone with something with a lot of force, it will hurt them pretty badly, too." David added.

Eddie nodded. That made sense.

"Yeah, we've been warned about that with our baseball bats," Teddy told David.

David nodded, as if that comparison would not have occurred to him. "Good. Besides that, you _should _treat a wooden sword like a real sword anyway. Because you never know when you might end up having to use a real one. So you all understand about safety?"

All three boys nodded, although Eddie wasn't sure why he'd ever _have_ _to_ use a real sword. Unless Henry's uncle was trying to say he'd buy him a real sword someday. That would be cool.

"Okay, Henry so you stand like this," David squared his feet so they were right under his shoulders. "And you hold the sword out and swing it around. Remember, stay _far enough away_ so you won't hit anyone."

Henry backed up again and squared his feet again. Then he began swinging his sword around in the air.

"That's not bad, Henry." David nodded, obviously impressed. "It's very good, actually."

"Can I try?" Teddy asked, holding his hand out to Henry.

"Can I try after him?" Eddie asked as well.

"Sure," Henry replied, shrugging. He handed the sword to Teddy.

Teddy backed away from the others and put his feet _about_ the way he was supposed to. Then he swung the sword in the air a few minutes. He looked okay, Eddie supposed.

Then Teddy handed the sword to Eddie. He backed away from the others and tried to put his feet in the right position. Then Eddie swung the sword around a few minutes. "How was that?" he asked the others.

They shrugged. "It wasn't bad," David replied.

"It was alright," Henry agreed, nodding.

"You should keep your arm up a little more. Usually the places you want to hit are up here." Henry's uncle gestured to his torso region. "Not down there." He gestured to his feet.

Eddie nodded. "Oh."

"Can you show us, Gr – Uncle David?" Henry asked.

David shrugged. "I'm a little out of practice, Henry. It's been a while since I've picked up a sword."

"But you've used one _before_. That's more than any of us have," Henry protested. Eddie supposed it made sense that Henry's uncle had used a sword before. Why else would he know so much about them?

"Okay," David finally agreed. He took the sword, and stepped backwards a few feet. Then he squared his feet and began whipping the sword around so fast, Eddie could barely see it. He flipped himself around several times, altering his position.

"If that's 'out of practice,' what do you look like when you _have_ practiced?" Eddie couldn't stop himself from asking, when David finally stopped.

David shrugged.

"Were you on, like, a fencing team in school, or something?" Teddy asked, awed.

"Something like that," David replied. He and Henry shared a look. Eddie wondered what that meant. Did it have anything to do with the name Henry kept almost calling him? It was no matter. Henry's Uncle David was really cool. Eddie wondered if he asked him, if he'd make Eddie a sword like Henry's. Maybe if he offered to pay him for it? He'd have to ask his mom, first of course.

**Thank you for reading. Hope you enjoyed reading about Eddie. I'd love some more reviews, if possible.**

**Fangirl: Thank you for the review for the last chapter. (Seriously, I think you review as much as I do. That's a good thing, by the way. I love having a discussion partner for this stuff.) I'm glad you liked reading more about Justin. Hope you enjoy reading about Eddie and the sword fighting.**


	11. Chapter 11: Mr Jenison

Mr. Jenison

**Disclaimers: I don't own "**_**Once Upon a Time**_**." Also, this is a spin – off of the original "Thicker Than Water" written by La Lisboa."**

**This one takes place during chapter 21. You might want to look over the end of that chapter first. Usually my "Voices" take place after the chapters that I've written recently. However, I had a request to focus on this character from one of my most loyal followers. So this is for you, Fangirl! Hope you like it. **

Victor Jenison had noticed Ruby Lucas the minute she'd walked into the Hot Spot. It wasn't surprising; Victor _always_ noticed the good – looking women that applied for work at his restaurant. That's why he employed so many hot waitresses. Still, there was something really exciting about this chick. When Victor touched her, she didn't _protest_ like some women tried to. He knew that meant she wanted to have sex with him, too.

She showed up at the perfect time, too. Victor was getting tired of the waitress he was currently sleeping with. He couldn't wait to see what Miss Lucas was capable of. But he still didn't make advances on her right away. In the first place, even though he was getting tired of Janette, he wanted to keep her around for a _little_ longer. In the second place, Victor had always thought pursuing the woman was almost as much fun as finally nailing her. So Victor continued to use Janette for his sexual needs while he touched Ruby's breasts and butt whenever he could. Miss Lucas enjoyed it just as much has Victor did; he could tell.

OOOOOOOOOO

A couple months after Ruby started working at the Hot Spot, he'd finally had enough of Janette. So he told the woman he didn't need her to come to his apartment anymore. Janette had protested a little. "What about _my _apartment? Or your office?" she asked as she rubbed herself against him.

He thought about it briefly. What was wrong with one more time? She knew everything that needed to be done, after all. But then he pushed her away. _That_ was the problem with Janette. She was too predictable. She was old news. "I'm done with you," Janette," he told her firmly. And if you don't get that, you can find another job."

The woman huffed for a few minutes and then stormed out of the restaurant. Good. At least he didn't have to worry about two women fighting over him. Sometimes that could be hot, but it caused too much complications over all. Tonight, he would as Miss Lucas to stay after closing. He had to ease into things, even though he knew she was just as eager to have him as he was to have her. The woman still needed to be pursued, after all.

OOOOOOOOOOOOO

Two days later, Victor _finally_ ready to have Miss Ruby Lucas. He'd asked her to stay late at the Hot Spot, and bought her a drink to help her to relax. Victor loved it when his women tasted like wine, too. _This was going to be great_, he thought to himself, admiring her body again as he finished his paperwork. With that, he shoved the papers aside and grabbed Ruby's breasts. _Such a perfect shape,_ he thought to himself again. But Miss Lucas didn't respond the way she usually did. Instead she looked at Victor and told him, "Mr. Jenison, you really shouldn't do that." With that, she _actually _pushed him away from her!

Boy, she was a strong one! Victor suddenly wanted her twice as much as he did before. He laughed. "What's the matter, sweet thing? You never had a problem with this before." She _must _be playing a game with him. He pulled her back against his chest. "You know why we're here tonight, don't you? That's why you stayed, isn't it?" He pulled off her waitress top so he could get a better view of her breasts. They really were great.

But as he brushed their genitals together and tried to pull down her skirt, Miss Lucas bit him on the hand! _Hard_. Victor was so surprised, it took him a moment or two to recover. Ruby seemed to use that time to kick him right in the groin. His legs collapsed under him as he moaned in pain. Victor certainly wasn't turned on anymore! He was angry. What did you do that for, stupid woman? I know you wanted me too! You had to have wanted me!"

He was saying that to an empty room, Victor realized. Ruby had already left. Well, good riddance, he supposed. He had plenty of other waitresses to sleep with.

**So what did you think of that one? Appropriately sleazy? Did it give you a better view of Ruby's situation?**

**Thank you for the responses for the last chapter. Here are some responses.**

**Guest: Glad you enjoyed it.**

**Fangirl: Really love your long reviews. (Now I understand why so many people gush about mine. Long reviews are so much fun to read!) Yeah, David is definitely someone for the boys to look up to. As far as Henry's "slips" on their names, that's because Henry had accepted them as his grandparents back in Storybrooke emotionally, so he called them "Grandpa and Granma" when he was talking to them. (Unlike Emma who hadn't accepted them as her parents emotionally.) Here, he **_**knows**_** he shouldn't call them that in public. But his relationship with his grandparents is so important to him, it was hard for him to remember. (That's also why David and Snow don't lecture him about it. They love the fact that their relationship means so much that he keeps "slipping.") Still, you're right, it isn't really safe. That's something they may need to deal with in the future in the "main" story. (Which I'm sure you'll read when it happens. Stay tuned.)**

**Keep the reviews coming. They help!**

**Oh, and happy season 4B!**


	12. 12 Kristen

Kristen

**Disclaimers: I don't own **_**Once Upon a Time**_**. Also this is a spin – off of the original "Thicker than Water" written by La Lisboa.**

**Happy Easter and/or Happy Spring.**

Kristen was happy the new guy, Killian was at the club tonight. She was even happier that he wasn't bartending. She couldn't wait to talk to him. He was funny, and he had the sexiest Irish accent. Maybe he'd even play the guitar again. He was pretty good.

Kristen still remembered the first day she saw him at the club. _She'd come with her friends, Emily and Doug. But as soon as she saw the new bartender, she decided she'd rather talk to _him _instead of dancing. So Emily and Doug danced and Kristen talked to the bartender. "So, you're the new bartender" she asked the man as he handed her the drink she asked for, a screwdriver. "I'm Kristen", she added, introducing herself._

"_Aye. At your service," he replied as he grinned at her. He had a beautiful smile and an even better accent. Yep, she was definitely going to stay here and keep talking to this guy. _

"_You're from Ireland, right? I can tell from the way you talk. When did you come here?"_

"_Last year," he said simply. _

_Kristen hoped he would elaborate, but he didn't. "Are you enjoying Maine?" she asked him._

_He shrugged. "The sea is bloody wonderful," he admitted forcefully._

_Kristen grinned back at him. "Then I think you're in the right place." They talked for the rest of the night. He made her laugh. It was only when Kristen got home that she realized he__**'**__d never told her his name. It was rather surprising, considering they'd talked all night. Especially considering she'd told him hers. But maybe he was one of those mysterious guys that you have to take time to figure out. Kristen was up to the challenge._

_OOOOOOOOOOO_

_Kristen came to the club again and again to talk to the new bartender. Unfortunately, it seemed she wasn't the only woman who had her eye on him. At least he didn't seem to be favoring one of the others over Kristen. That meant Kristen could still hope, right? Eventually, she asked him his name point – blank.  
_

"_Killian Jones," he told her, like the name meant the world to him. What did that imply?_

_OOOOOOOOOOOOO_

_Another night Kristen came in and Killian was there, too, even though he wasn't working. "Hi Killian!" she called to him cheerfully. "What are you up to tonight?"_

_He flashed his famous grin at her. "Just enjoying a drink," he held up a glass of some kind of rum._

"_Are you on a break?"_

"_Not working, lass." Gosh, that accent was wonderful. "Came because I was looking for company."_

_Kristen's eyes lit up. He was looking for _company?_ She was company! "Great! Maybe you'd like to dance, once the band gets here that is…" Where was music when you needed it?_

_Killian looked over at the stage and noticed someone had left a guitar there. He looked at the instrument longingly for a second before he flashed another charming grin at her. "Maybe, lass."_

_Kristen wondered what that look was about. Did he like the guitar? "Of course, since the musicians aren't here, you could look at the guitar over there if you wanted." She gently touched his shoulder. He didn't really respond to her touch, but Kristen would keep trying. _

_But Killian looked at the guitar again and chuckled. "Well, I used to play a little bit. Why don't you tell me what you think, lass?" So Killian picked up the extra guitar. What was really surprising was when he picked it up, it turned out he only had _one _hand. Kristen stared at his hook for a second. But Kilian didn't let it stop him. He played a song. It was a song Kristen had _never_ even heard of. But the music was wonderful. _

"_Tell me that wasn't bloody wonderful?" he asked as he grinned smugly at her _and_ two other women who had also stopped to listen._

_Kristen smiled. Killian could be egotistical about some things, but that was okay. He had a right to be. "Definitely."_

"_Totally," agreed another woman in a mini – skirt. "You should totally join a band." _

"_I'd love to hear it again," added the second woman as she sipped a drink._

_Kristen sighed. Too bad Killian attracted so much attention with other women. But at least he wasn't favoring one over the rest. Kristen could get him interested in her yet. She looked at the woman's mini – skirt. Maybe it wouldn't hurt to buy something like that. He might notice her a little more. Especially if he danced with her._

OOOOOOOOOOOO

Tonight was Kristen's first time wearing the mini – skirt she'd bought. It was a bright green color that went perfect with her blonde hair. She was sure Killian would love it. This time she would not only hear him play, she'd dance with him as well. "Hi Killian!" she greeted him right away, as she ran up to him. Her mini – skirt swished a little. Perfect. "Good to see you again. I'm so glad you're not bartending tonight!"

"Hi Kristen," Killian greeted her, smiling. This was perfect.

"The band isn't here yet," she commented. "Could you play the guitar again for me?" It was wonderful to hear him play. And it was an ideal thing for him to do _before _the band came. (After the band came Kristen still planned on convincing Killian to dance with her.)

"Course I can. That one's free over there." Kristen could never get over what a wonderful musician Killian was, especially considering he only had one hand.

"Thoughts?" he asked when he finished.

"I loved it!" Kristen replied eagerly. "Do another one." Especially considering the band wasn't here yet.

But to Kristen's disappointment, Killian shook his head. "The real band will be coming in soon. Actually there they are," he added pointing to a group of people starting to sit down. "And I wasn't talking to you." Then Killian looked directly at a blonde who was sitting across the room. "What did _you _think, Swan?" Wait a minute. Killian hadn't been talking to her? He was talking to some other woman Kristen had never seen before? A woman Killian obviously already knew, considering he called her "Swan." What was going on here?

The Swan woman walked over to where Killian was standing. "I loved it," she told Killian, smiling. Kristen wished she could wipe that smile right off her face. "Where did you learn to play like that?"

"Here and there," Killian replied.

Kristen looked at Killian and the Swan woman a second before she finally had enough. "Killian, who is this?" _And _how _do you know her_? she wanted to add.

Killian smiled again. Not his typical charming grin. But a deeper smile that seemed more…real somehow. "This is Emma. She's my guest for tonight."

Kristen's eyes widened. In the last month and a half, she'd gotten to know Killian relatively well. And in all that time, he'd never favored one woman over another. Ever. Sometimes Kristen thought he might even be favoring _her_. Kristen was sure, she could convince him to go on a date or two eventually. Maybe even be his girlfriend. But now…Killian was favoring this Emma…this Swan woman, whatever. For a whole night! Kristen wasn't sure what to do with that information, it was so unexpected. Finally she huffed and ran out of the club.

**This is the first time I've written anything involving Killian without the help of my beta. I did the best I could to make him sound/act in character, but I really don't know if I succeeded.**

**So I'd really appreciate a review on what you thought of his character in this chapter **_**especially**_** if you **_**are**_** a Captain Swan fan and have read a lot of Hook/Killian.**

**Thanks to Fangirl (as always) for the review from my last chapter. **

**Here's the response: Okay, as you probably noticed, I'm **_**not**_** a Frankenwolf shipper. That being said, I don't want to offend any of my readers who **_**are**_** Frankenwolf shippers, so the name "Victor" **_**was **_**used by accident. Second of all, my view of Red's fairytale persona is that she's a strong, independent woman who has a lot of pride in her natural defenses (once she learned to control them). That's why I've made such a big deal about how much she misses transforming.**

_**But**_**. I also think all of the Cursed personas come from **_**a part **_**of their natural personas that they don't like to acknowledge. Snow's timid personality came from massive guilt over everything she did. And Snow's fairytale persona **_**did **_**feel guilty about her role in ruining Regina's life. David's dishonesty/weakness was because he didn't want to hurt anyone with the truth. And David's fairytale persona wanted to make everyone happy as well. So I think Ruby's lustiness/boy – craziness was because she was lonely for male companionship, even though her fairytale persona was too independent to admit that. So in my story, when she starts receiving male attention from Mr. Jenison, she responds to it, even though her friends told her he was probably up to no good.**


	13. Julie Wendell (Justin's mother)

Julie Wendell

**Disclaimers: I don't own **_**Once Upon a Time**_**. Also this is a spin – off from La Lisboa's original "Thicker than Water."**

Justin called her about two weeks before he planned to visit. "Hi son," she greeted him. "You're still coming, right?" Julie Wendell couldn't wait to see her son again. She really hoped he wasn't calling because he had to cancel his trip.

"Of course I'm still coming, Mom," Justin replied. "Champ and I are getting all set."

Julie smiled at the idea of seeing Justin's dog again as well. She knew Champ was supposed to be a service dog, but the furry creature was _so _adorable. Julie didn't see any harm in giving the dog a few extra treats while they were here. After all, they only came to see her once a year. Why not make it special for Champ, too? "That sounds wonderful, Justin," she told him.

"Actually, Mom…I called because I'm planning on bringing someone else with me, too."

"Oh. Who is that?" Now _that _was surprising.

"Her name is Ruby," Justin replied. "I met her at the park. She's great with dogs," Her son's voice became excited as he talked. "I can even let her play with _Champ_, Mom." Well, this young woman must be quite good with dogs, and someone Justin trusted a _lot_. Her son rarely let anyone play with his dog. He was always worried people would play too rough or otherwise confuse his special companion. I've been…dating her, I guess you would say, for the past three months."

Her son had found a young woman? And she wanted to meet his mother? Wonderful! Julie had been worried after what happened between her and her ex – husband (especially considering Justin believed he was the cause of their divorce), that Justin would _never_ want to be involved in a relationship. Justin had a few dates in the past. But never a serious relationship. Certainly not serious enough to bring the girl home. This "Ruby" must be special. "That's great, Justin," she told her son on the phone. "I'll make sure I have everything ready for all _three _of you, then."

OOOOOOOOO

Julie spent the next couple of weeks making sure everything was all set. She bought some bones for Champ and some food for nice dinners for the rest of them. Julie even decided to buy a bottle of wine for the three of them to share. She also made sure the couch was all set for someone to spend the night. (Even if Justin and his girlfriend _were _sleeping together, which she couldn't be sure of, she didn't want them doing it in _her_ house.)

OOOOOOOOOOO

Julie decided Ruby looked like a nice girl for her son. She had very long, dark brown hair and bright brown eyes that sparkled when she talked about things she liked. Those things included dogs, especially Champ, and Justin. She even tolerated Julie and her son when they started to get into one of their arguments about his father. Julie hoped her son hung onto this girl.

In fact, the next evening, as dinner cooked, Julie decided to get out _all_ the pictures she had of Justin. Ruby would enjoy seeing them and getting to know Justin better, she was sure. Justin wasn't too thrilled about this idea, but he didn't stop her, either. Julie was right. This girl was important to Justin. Ruby seemed to enjoy the pictures, just as Julie had thought, although she looked a little unhappy when she looked at a picture of Justin and his father. Well, that was kind of complicated. But overall, Ruby seemed to have a good time.

**Thank you for reading. Please give me a review if you have the time.**

**Here's a response.**

**Fangirl: Glad you liked my explanation on how the Curse created the fake personalities and how it related to Red's experience with Mr. Jenison. As for Kristen, we probably won't see her again, but I'm sure she'll be fine eventually. She represents several women who I assume crush on the new bartender. **

**Personally, I don't find Killian/Collin ugly, but I think David/Josh is better looking. (I'm not sure whether that's because I liked David better in the beginning or not.) But I **_**do**_** know that a lot of fans think Killian/Collin is the most attractive man on the show. (Especially with his accent.) So, I figured in a world outside of Storybrooke (in Storybrooke, everyone in the show knows he only has eyes for Emma), he would get a **_**lot**_** of women interested in him. Kristen is just one of those.**


	14. Chapter 14

Eleanor Bates

**Disclaimers: I don't own **_**Once Upon a Time.**_** Also, this story is a spin – off from La Lisboa's original "Thicker than Water."**

**This time we'll here from Mrs. Bates, the director of the PTO and one of the teachers at Henry's school. It takes place in chapters 39 and 41.**

Eleanor was a little confused when she found out Mr. and Mrs. Nolan were Henry Mills's aunt and uncle. Most people who came to the PTO meetings were _parents_, after all. But Eleanor had to admit, she was glad to have them there. They both had great ideas and seemed well – suited for defusing arguments. She hoped they plan to come to more meetings.

When Henry arrived in math class the next day, Eleanor couldn't help praising his aunt and uncle. "I think your aunt and uncle are wonderful people, Henry. Do you know that? They really helped me at the PTO meeting last night."

Henry eyes lit up and he nodded eagerly. "I know! I want to be just like them and my mom when I grow up."

Eleanor smiled at the boy. "That's great to hear." Henry seemed to have wonderful role models in his life. And was even better was the boy realized it. She sat down at her desk and opened her textbook. "Did everyone do their homework last night?"

OOOOOOOOOOOO

Eleanor was grateful that Mr. and Mrs. Nolan seemed very interested in the PTO. They helped with the pumpkin sale, and they volunteered to sell refreshments at the Halloween Dance.

Speaking of the Halloween Dance, she was a chaperone this year. Fortunately, all the children seemed to be behaving this year. So far, there were no fights or wild dancing where kids got hurt. And she didn't smell any drugs around either.

Just then, Eleanor heard to boys screaming at each other. One of them looked like he might throw a punch _any_ minute. It looked like she'd spoken (or thought) too soon. She marched up, stepping in between them. "Calm down, please, or you will have to go home. Do you understand?" she asked firmly. Her voice left no room for argument.

"Yes," replied a familiar voice. Eleanor turned and realized it was Henry Mills. He seemed to be dressed as a prince of some sort. What was that nice boy doing in a situation like this?

"Yeah, sure Mrs. Bates," replied the other boy.

Eleanor decided to keep a close eye on both of them for the rest of the night. Luckily, neither of them got into a fight, or even another argument for the rest of the night. She did notice Henry acted strange around his uncle, though. In the first place, he kept glancing toward his uncle's refreshment booth all the time. That wasn't a problem. Eleanor was aware Henry knew his uncle was at the dance. Perhaps it made him self – conscious. Or maybe he just liked knowing the other man was there, considering he looked up to him so much. But what was r_eally_ odd was that Henry kept calling him something _other_ than "Uncle David." It started with a "G." Eleanor couldn't figure out what that meant. But she remembered him screaming something about a "G" when he fought with the other boy. Talking about his costume?

But Eleanor was concerned about Henry. She looked up his file when she got home and found out Henry actually _lived _with his aunt and uncle as well as his mother. That explained how close he was to them. He was also only living with the family recently. Last year he had been sent to a foster home because his adoptive mother died. Poor kid. It was actually surprising he was doing so well.

Or was he? What did that word meant that he was calling his uncle? "Great one? "Graduate?" Eleanor shook his head. She couldn't think of anything that made sense. And why was he saying the same thing when he screamed at the other kid? Was Henry looking up to his uncle in an unhealthy way? Associating him with…a storybook prince like he was dressed as? Eleanor rolled her eyes at herself. _You're being ridiculous!_

But those concerns wouldn't leave her mind for the next couple of days. What should she do about them? Should she call the boy's mother? Emma Swan, according to the record? Should she wait and see if Henry got worse…or did something else?

But Mr. and Mrs. Nolan were at the PTO meeting again this week. She decided to talk to them. They knew each other, after all. They might be less likely to become defensive if she voiced her concerns.

**I don't think this "Voice" is quite as good as the others but I thought I'd post it anyway.**

**Please let me know what you think, whether it's good, bad, or in between.**


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